Help Cody part fund their Master's degree

Hi, my name is Cody (they/them) and I'm a qualified counsellor based in the North East of England. I completed my BA in June (with a 1st!) and wrote my dissertation on nonbinary experiences of gender dysphoria and how embodiment, when explored therapeutically, could ease the experience.

I applied for my Master's but only realised a week ago that the postgraduate loan is spread across two years, and with only 8 weeks until my enrolment deadline, I was devastated to realise I could not afford to do it. This is about more than advancing my career. This is about much-needed research for a group that is incredibly underrepresented and yet is experiencing high rates of negative mental health. This is about evidence-based mental health care and creating safe therapeutic spaces for gender-diverse individuals.

I learned so much from my dissertation, but the biggest takeaway was the lack of research on therapeutic processes and outcomes for trans, nonbinary, and gender-nonconforming (TNG) individuals. As a nonbinary Counsellor, I am passionate about doing my part to close this gap in research. A master's in Advancing Counselling Practice could be the stepping stone to this research. My second year involves a research project and I intend to focus this on gender-diverse experiences.

Generally, there is a lack of empirical evidence regarding whether psychotherapy is effective with transgender individuals (Budge & Moradi, 2018) and in practice with gender-diverse clients overall (Leitch, 2022). This lack of research means a lack of provision of evidence-based care for this group. Why is this important?

Breakdown of costs - How your money will help

I will apply for a postgraduate loan that amounts to £12,471. My course fee after my alumni discount is £6,408. This leaves £6,063 spread across the 20 months of the degree. For my BA, my maintenance loan was £9,436 and this subsidised my wage decrease so that I could study. I worked 3 days, had 1 day in uni, and 1 day for reading and assignments. This day for reading and writing assignments is essential for the quality of the work and so I can still spend some weekends with my family. Adding £10,000 to the £6,063 from my loan will help subsidise my wage for 20 months and all of the money will go towards bills (mortgage, car, insurance, etc.). I am asking for an extra £500 to cover any transaction fees.

I've got 8 weeks until my enrolment deadline. Any donation helps! You can follow my journey on Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/codykettner?igsh=Y2N6bWR4NjZtNDF2&utm_source=qr

Thanks,

Cody